In anticipation of the 2008 NFL season, and the high expectations of the Cleveand Browns actually making the playoffs, I’ve been looking into the past, especially the draft, and seeing how I would do things differently during the five years that Bill Belichick was head coach. Why this time period? It is primarily due to a series of articles examining the failure of the Belichick era in Cleveland preceding the team’s move to Baltimore. I guess in the back of my mind I’m thinking if the draft (and overall team management) went the way I’m redoing it, the team may never have left following 1995.

The Brown’s drafts under Belichick were nothing short of failures. Jesse Lamovsky stated it best:

The team’s draft record during Belichick’s tenure, although not as famously bad as that of the expansion Browns in 1999 and 2000, left a great deal to be desired. Of the forty-one players taken in the five drafts of the Belichick era, only one- Eric Turner- ever made it to a Pro Bowl. It’s a matter of talent, and the Browns of the early ‘90s were mediocre largely because they had mediocre talent.

After reworking the previous four years, its time to wrap things up with a rework of the 1995 draft. In reality, 1995 was nothing short of a disaster for the Browns. Belichick continued his trend of dumping productive and popular players that he didn’t draft. This offseason, Michael Dean Perry and Eric Metcalf, both whom went to the 1994 Pro Bowl, were gone. Owner Art Modell, always the meddler, signed WR Andre Rison to a huge free agent contract that turned into a major mistake.

The sorry state of the team was only compounded by the complete mismanagement of the draft that year. Looking to draft TE Kyle Brady, the Browns traded up to the tenth spot. However, when Brady was drafted ninth, Belichick didn’t seem to know what to do, and traded back down to the last pick in the draft (as well as picking up additional picks later in that draft and for 1996). With that pick, Belichick took LB Craig Powell, which stunned everyone. Powell, the second best linebacker on his Ohio State team, never amounted to anything in the NFL. Basically, the pick was forfeited. The Browns also lost their second and sixth round picks due to bad player trades the previous year. With all that said, here’s how their 1995 draft materialized:

When I say this draft was a complete waste, here’s my argument. Not one single person made any sort of significant impact for ANY team they played on, much less the Browns. Powell played a total of 14 games in three years, for three different teams. Not what you expect from a first round draft pick. Zeier, although decent, had career stats that equated to a decent single season. In seven years for three teams, Zeier’s career stats are 16 games started, 3,520 passing yards, 16 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Fredrick amassed two sacks during his five-year career. Tau never saw the field during his one year in the league, and neither Miller nor Tellison could make a roster.

There’s a lot about this year that I would do differently. First off, Perry would still be on the team. He was good and popular, and didn’t deserve the exit he received. Metcalf, on the other hand, was expendible. He wasn’t a featured running back, and there was too much talent on our new team at wide receiver with Keenan McCardell, Robert Brooks, Troy Brown and Rod Smith. However, I would try to trade him for something instead of just releasing him. Also, Rison would never have come to Cleveland except as a member of the Brown’s opponent.

Now let’s look at the draft. I honestly don’t know what I would have done with some of these draft day deals that went on. After four years, there really is no areas of need. All we’re looking for at this point is depth and preparing to replace older players we originally drafted. For certain, I wouldn’t have lost the second and sixth round picks with player trades the previous year. However, the other draft pick deals are harder to judge. All remaining picks involved gaining additional picks for the 1996 draft. Looking at the 1996 draft, it was loaded with talent, and making those deals look good. But also knowing that those picks eventually went to the Baltimore Ravens, not the Cleveland Browns, makes it difficult.

The truth is, no one outside Art Modell knew the financial state of the Browns. His income was the Browns, unlike almost every other NFL owner at the time. The team played in a trash bin called a stadium at the time, Modell lost money by the Indians moving into a new stadium (and hence, not renting out the Browns stadium from Modell) and poor free agent acquisitions, and the team was losing. Hopefully our new team would have been more successful, and hence, generated more income. Maybe the winning Browns would have helped convince Cleveland administration to help build a new stadium for the Browns. Or maybe, the winning Browns would have least had helped convince city and NFL leaders to convince Modell to sell the team to someone who would properly invest in the team.

Regardless, the head coach and other football personnel were supposedly in the dark about a potential move to Baltimore. With that fact, we need to make deals good for the team, even if that assumes it plays in Cleveland in 1996. I then make thetrade with Jacksonville, giving up my fourth round pick for the Jaguars 1995 and 1996 fifth round picks. However, I’m still not sure about what to do with the San Francisco deal. Cleveland originally moved up from 26 to 10 (swapping with Atlanta). When Brady came off the board, the Browns then swapped back down with San Francisco, moving from 10 to 30. They also picked up San Francisco’s third and forth round picks, as well as the Niners first round in 1996. Looking at my team’s situation, I’m thinking the deal with Atlanta never goes through, and doesn’t start the chain reaction that occured. So now our new draft picks look like this:

That gives us seven picks in the 1995 draft. After four years of stellar redrafting, there really aren’t any holes to fill anywhere, so our philosophy is to grab the best available player and let the chips fall where they may. I also pondered another interesting situation that played out in reality. The Packers had both Brett Favre and Mark Brunell on their team, just like I do. Jacksonville traded their 3rd and 5th round picks to the Packers for Favre. Considering the state of our team, I wouldn’t be interested in that deal. However, I have another deal that I think would work with Jacksonville.

The Jaguars held two first round picks that year, the 2 and 19 picks. They used the 19th pcik on running back James Stewart. In exchange for the 19 pick, I would give Jacksonville Mark Brunell, swap my second round pick with their third round pick (71), and also give them my second fifth round pick (and maybe part with RB Gary Brown as well). To gain a new back up quarterback, I would sign Trent Green, who at this time was playing in the CFL. My new draft board would look like this:

I still have seven picks, but with another first round selection, while slightly moving down from the late second to early third round, and giving up a late fifth round pick. Here’s what I would do with those picks:

I’m a mark for Stringer, one since he grew up not far from me (Warren, OH) and played at Ohio State. He was also a stud offensive tackle. Taked with pick 24 by the Vikings, I would get Stringer five picks earlier. This would also enable me to move Larry Allen to his more natural guard position. Stringer became an instant starter for Minnesota, missing only three games, and starting all but two, during his brief six-year career. He was elected to his only Pro Bowl in 2000. Unfortunately he died of heat stroke the following year in training camp.

Picked 28th overall by Tampa Bay, Brooks has been one of the most dominant linebackers in the NFL. He was selected to the Pro Bowl ten consecutive times, a streak that ended this past season (2007). Suring his career, Brooks has yet to miss a game due to significant injuries. Recently, an ESPN writer also argued that Brooks is a lock in the Hall of Fame.

Drafted by New England in the third round, Martin is considered one of the best running backs in the history of the NFL. During his 11 years with New England and the New York Jets, he rushed for over 1,000 yards his first ten years, a feat previously only accomplished by Barry Sanders. He likely would have eclipsed 1,000 yards his eleventh year if not for a knee injury that forced him to miss the final four games of the 2005 season (he ran for 735 yards at that point). During his career, Martin averaged 1,281 yards rushing and eight touchdowns per season. He was also elected to five Pro Bowls.

Boyd was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round, and played all seven years in Detroit, and bbecame the starting middle linebacker in his second year. During the next four years (1997-2000), Boyd led the Lions in tackles, averaging over 175 tackles per season during that span. He was elected to two Pro Bowls before retiring in 2001 due to a back injury.

Playing all seven years with the Broncos, Terrell Davis was a steal in the sixth round. He had n incredible first four years in the NFL before being plagued by injures that eventually ended his career. A three-time Pro Bowler, Davis is only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season (2,008 in 1998), and won the NFL MVP award that year. During those first four years, he averaged over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns a season. He was an essentialpart of the Broncos teams that won consecutive Super Bowls in 1997 and 1998. He was elected Super Bowl MVP in 1997 as he rushed for 157 yards, caught 2 passes for 8 yards, and became the first player in Super Bowl history ever to score 3 rushing touchdowns. Along with winning the MV award in 1998, Davis also won his first league rushing title and third consecutive AFC rushing title.

Drafted by the Packers in the seventh round, Timmerman became a key member to the Green Bay offensive line that appeared in two Super Bowls, winning one of them. He then signed with the Rams in 1999, where he was part of one of the greatest offenses in NFL history, and appeared in two more Super Bowls, winning a second title in 1999. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 2001.

Drafted by Minnesota in the seventh round, Fisk played 12 seasons in the NFL, the first four with the Vikings. He signed with Tennessee in 1999 to become a starter, and played in his only Super Bowl with the Titans.

(1991-) 1995 Redraft Summary

With little pressing needs, this draft helped strenghten some areas, most notibly linebacker and offensive line. But the biggest improvement was nabbing two stud running backs that already had a future Pro Bowler from the year before (Jamal Anderson). This year’s group, along with the last four years drafts, has built (at least on paper) one of the most talented teams in the NFL. Here’s a breakdown of the entire five years of redrafts by position with the number of Pro Bowl selections  in ( ):

I think this would be considered one of, if not the best, five-year drafts in NFL history. It’s a group not only loaded with talent (150 Pro Bowl appearances), but longevity (at least ten players still active during the 2008 season). The selections by position are also spaced out fairly well. Only the outside linebacker position has more than four selections over the five years (average of one per draft). I lumped the offensive guard and tackle positions because a couple of players were versatile enough to play either spot. Combined, I drafted seven players to fill four starting positions, with three players in reserve. The only position I didn’t draft was a kicker.

Would this team have won at least one Super Bowl, much less a number of them? Who knows, but with this talent, it was possible. Would Bill Cowher have done a better job coaching than Bill Belichick? Again, who knows, but he at least wouldn’t have alienated the existing veterans and media (and consequently, the fans) the way Belichick did. Would this team, with its potential for winning, have gotten the Browns a new stadium or new owner, or both? Would it at least have kept them from moving to Baltimore? Again, who knows, but I like the chances. In wrapping up this series, it seems appropriate to quote Shakespeare from Hamlet:

“To sleep, perchance to dream-ay, there’s the rub.”

After pondering the immense failure of Bill Belichick as head coach of the Cleveland Browns during the 1990s, I’ve gone back and looked at one aspect of that five-year tenure, the draft. Being the football nerd I am, I’m playing the role of fantasy general manager and redoing their 1991-1995 draft picks. Wishful thinking, yes, but I wonder if the draft played out the way I redid it, maybe the Browns would have never left in 1996. And maybe the long-eluded Super Bowl championship would have finally found a home in northeastern Ohio.

I’m up to 1994, the only winning season under Belichick in Cleveland. The Browns finished 11-5 that year, one game behind the Steelers in the Central Divison, and a wildcard entry in the playoffs. Cleveland fielded one of the strongest defenses in the league that year. Vinny Testaverde was the starting quarterback after the ugy divorce between fan-favorite Bernie Kosar and the head coach the previous season. After beating the Patriots in the Wildcard game, Cleveland faced their long-time nemesis in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately for the Browns, the results were the same as the regular season (Pittsburgh won both contests) with a sound tumping by the Steelers.

Cleveland’s draft before the 1994 season was average at best. First off, Cleveland traded away their second round picks in 1994 and 1995 to Philadelphia in order to move up into the last spot of the first round. They had also lost their fourth round pick to Miami in a trade the previous year for OL Gene Williams (I don’t remember him either). That left them with six picks in the 1994 draft. Here’s what they did with them:

Langham and Alexander both has good careers, although neither will see the Hall of Fame unless they buy a ticket. Bandison and Booth barely played during their short careers, and Strait and Hewitt never made it on the roster.

Now let’s take over. First off, the two draft trades that cost the Browns their two second round picks and their fourth round pick would never have happened. That gives us a pick in each of the seven rounds of the draft. So let’s look at our needs coming into the 1994 draft. Here’s our starting roster, based on draft picks only, at this point:

The numbers in ( ) indicate how many Pro Bowls each player has appeared in during their actual NFL careers. We also have depth at wide receiver (Troy Brown), tight end (Frank Wycheck), linebacker (Corey Widmer, Jesse Armstead), cornerback (Mark McMillan) and free safety (John Lynch). Our areas of biggest need are running back and offensive line, especially tackle and center. Here’s our new draft board. I’m omitting round numbers at this point because I’m assuming our new, Pro Bowl-laiden roster would have performed better than the original 1993 team (7-9). Hence, we would end up picking later in the rounds:

Let’s go at it and complete our rebuilding of the Browns:

Drafted in the second round by Seattle, Mawae is considered one of the top centers in the past decade. He was elected to the Pro Bowl on six consecutive occasions (1999-2004) while playing for the Seahawks and Jets. In 2006, he signed a free agent contract with the Titans, where he continues to play today.

Originally drafted by the Cowboys in the middle of the second round, Larry Allen (along with tackle Erik Williams) became the cornerstone of the great offensive line for Dallas during their three Super Bowl Championships during the 1990s. Able to play both guard and tackle, Allen played 13 years, 11 with the Cowboys, and made the Pro Bowl 11 consecutive years (1995-2006).

Jason Gildon was picked by the Steelers in the third round, and is versatile enough to play both defensive end and outside linebacker. He is Pittsburgh’s all-time leader in sacks with 77, and went to the Pro Bowl three times (2000, 2001, 2002). He averaged nearly 11 sacks a season from 1998-2002. Although not a need, Gildon is a defensive terror that can’t be passed up. Bonus points for hurting the Steelers.

Again, another position of strength, but I’m a believer in taking the best talent available unless there is a serious need, and Harrison is too good of a player to not take. Drafed by San Diego in the fifth round, Harrison became a starter in 1997 and made the Pro Bowl twice (1998, 2001). He was cut by the Chargers following the 2002 season in a salary cap move, and signed with the Patriots, where he won two Super Bowls. Harrison is the only player in NFL history with 30 INTs and 30 sacks.

I haven’t really paid much attention to special teams in these drafts, so this is a good spot to address them. Mitch Berger was taken by the Eagles in the late sixth round, but really came into prominence when he signed with Minnesota following the 1995 season. He played with the Vikings for five years, and made the Pro Bowl in 1999. He spent one year with the Rams before signing with New Orleans, where he played for another five years and made his second Pro Bowl in 2004. He is currently playing with the Steelers.

I finally address my last glaring weakness, running back. In hindsight, Jamal Anderson was the second best running back to come out of the 1994 draft (Marshall Faulk was the best and picked second overall). The only reason I waited until the sixth round to take him is because he originally wasn’t selected until the last round (7th) by Atlanta, so I had almost the whole draft to wait for him. Anderson played eight years for the Falcons before retiring following the 2001 season after an ACL tear, amassing 5,336 rushing yards, 156 receptions for 1,645 yards, and 41 touchdowns. Inventor of the Dirty Bird touchdown celebration, Anderson made the Pro Bowl in 1998 when he ran for an NFL single-season record 410 times for 1,846 yards and 14 touchdowns. That year, the Falcons made their only Super Bowl appearance, losing to the Broncos. He ran for 96 yards for a 5.3 average in the Super Bowl.

Undrafted, Rod Smith signed with the Broncos in 1994, where he played 13 years and became a favorite target of Elway and Plummer. Becoming a starter in 1997, Smith averaged 75 receptions for 1,000 yards and six touchdowns during his last 11 years, and only missed three games during his career. He’s had two seasons of at least 100 receptions (2000: 100; 2001: 113), and his reception total in 2001 led the league. In Super Bowl XXXIII, Smith had 5 receptions for 152 yards, the fourth highest total in Super Bowl history. He also was elected to three Pro Bowls.

1994 Redraft Summary

Coming into this draft, I identified two areas of need: offensive line and running back. With three of our seven picks, I’ve more than adequately addressed those. Kevin Mawae and Larry Allen bring a combined 17 Pro Bowls to a line that already has 19 Pro Bowl appearances, giving us 36 Pro Bowls among center Mawae, guards Ron Stone and Will Shields, and tackles Allen and Erik Williams. That is a loaded offensive line. Jamal Anderson also gives us another Pro Bowl running back in the backfield (along with FB Anders). Add another Pro Bowl wide receiver (Smith) to a fine collection of pass catchers (Donald Driver, Keenan McCardell, Troy Brown, TE Ben Coates, TE Frank Wycheck) and a future Hall of Fame quarterback iin Brett Favre, and we have one of the most talented offenses in the history of the league.

We strengthened an already dominating defense with depth at linebacker and strong safety, and added a future Pro Bowl punter in Berger. Although with this team, Berger may never get in a game. If you can come up with a better championship-contending team, I would like to see it. There is no reason this team shouldn’t have won at least three or four Super Bowls, and we still have one more year to go.

I’m continuing my series of reworking the drafts of the Cleveland Browns under Bill Belichick. Having completed a redo of thefirst two years, I now move on to 1993 and see what the team did originally.

Originally, the Browns made a few draft pick trades in 1993.  The first was moving down three spots in the first round (from 11 to 14) by swapping picks with Denver, and also picking up the Broncos third round pick. They also gave up their original third round pick to Detroit (for DT Jerry Ball), 4th rounder to Chicago (for C Jay Hilgenberg), and 8th rounder to the Rams (for LB Frank Stams).That left the team with six picks total. Here’s how it played out:

Overall,the original draft by Cleveland in 1993 probably would get a C grade. Everitt was a good player, as was Footman and Caldwell. However, none we spectacular. Arvie also had a decent career, mainly playing as a backup. McKenzie and Hill never did much with their short careers. However, looking back on the players available in 1993, this could have been a much more productive draft. Let’s now take this draft with what I’ve accomplished with the last two.

First off, let’s look at where the team stands based on our new 1991 and 1992 drafts, and see what positions are filled, and what’s still needed. I’ve included the number of Pro Bowls each player was actually elected to after their names.

I think that’s a pretty impressive team after only two drafts. Also, the Browns still had a few Pro Bowl players that were a part of the team before 1991: DT Michael Dean Perry, DE Rob Burnett, WR Webster Slaughter (remember I didn’t cut him), RB Eric Metcalf, QB Bernie Kosar and T Tony Jones. Both Kosar’s and Slaughter’s careers are winding down at this point, but we’ve effectively replaced those two positions. We also have drafted some depth at CB (Mark McMillian) and MLB/ILB (Corey Widmer).

Looking back withwhat we’ve done over the last two years, there’s some holes we still need to fill. We don’t have a stud strong safety and still have holes along the offensive line (mainly guard). I would also like to improve our running back situation and gain some additional depth at wide receiver. I also think the three draft trades mentioned above to pick up players is now unnecessary, since the three player positions that were traded for (DT, C, LB) were effectively filled via the draft. So our draft picks now look like this:

We are now left with nine picks in the draft. Here’s what I would do with them:

Even though defensive end isn’t a pressing need at this point, you just cannot pass on Strahan. If every team had a doever this year, he would easily be one of the top three picks in that draft instead of sliding to the mid-second round. A seven time Pro Bowler, Strahan just ended his career this past season as the NFL’s all-time sack leader.

This was probably the most difficuly repick I’ve come across, not because of Lynch’s talent, but because free safety is not a pressing need with Merton Hanks being taken two years earlier. I debated about drafting LB Chad Brown for a number of reasons. One being his versatility playing both as inside and outside linebacker during his career. It would also be a good ball-kicker to the division rival Steelers, who drafted Brown originally. But with taking Jesse Armstead later, and Lynch’s nine Pro Bowl selections, I just couldn’t pass him up.

A stud out of Nebraska, Shields is probably the best offensive lineman during the 1990s. After becoming a starter early on in his rookie year, he started 230 consecutive games for the Chiefs, a team record and second in the league only to Favre. During his 14-year career, he failed to start in only one game, his very first, and was elected to 12 straight Pro Bowls from 1995-2006.

Originally taken by the Cowboys, Stone was on the line with Erik Williams for two Super Bowl championship teams. However, he went to three Pro Bowls after leaving the Cowboys for the Giants and 49ers. He played 12 years with four different teams, and could also play tackle.

With Kosar becoming more fragile and Favre asserting himself as the new starting quarterback, it’s not a bad idea to find a capable backup. Its rather ironic that this is the exact same scenario that played out for real, but with the team being the Packers, and Don Majikowski playing the role of injured incumbent. Brunell also made the Pro Bowl three times after being traded to Jacksonville.

Another late draft steal (taken in the eight round by the Giants), Armstead was a terror on defense for 11 years, going to the Pro Bowl five times. Armstead had 752 career tackles with 40 sacks and 12 interceptions for 175 yards.

Originally drafted by the Redskins, Wycheck came into prominence during his second year in the league as a member of the Oilers (and later the Titans). During his 11-year career, he amassed 505 receptions for 5,126 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is one of only five tight ends to surpass 500 receptions in NFL history, and led the Titans in receiving for three consecutive years. He also went to three Pro Bowls. He would be a great compliment to Ben Coates.

Another late-round gem, Brown has played the last 15 years with the Patriots, playing a key role in their three Super Bowl championships. Although he’s only made one Pro Bowl during his career, following the 2001 season where he recorded 101 catches for 1199 yards and 5 touchdowns, Brown is know for his overall talent and versatility. He has on occassion played defensive back, has been an exceptional kick returner, and also played quarterback in emergency situations. He’s an overall talent that any team can use.

Bishop had a stellar ten-year career with the Oilers, and was a steal in the eight round. Know as one of the hardest hitting safeties in the league, Bishop was elected to four Pro Bowls.

1993 Redraft Summary

Out of our four areas of focus, I think I’ve effectively addressed three of them. I loaded up the offensive line with Shields and Stone, drafted a stud SS with Bishop, and added receiver depth with not only Troy Brown, but Wycheck as well. I also turned a strong defense into one of the best with Strahan, Lynch and Armstead, and got some quarterback insurance with Brunell. With nine picks, I took players that amassed a combined 47 Pro Bowls. And this is still passing on players such as LB Chad Brown (3 Pro Bowls), FS Brock Marion (3 Pro Bowls) and MLB Barry Minter. This was a draft class that was second to only the 1991 class with quality and depth. Updating our chart from the beginning, the Browns would now look like this:

That would give us 38 Pro Bowl appearances on offense, and another four if you count Frank Wycheck and Troy Brown. We would also have 41 on defense, and another 14 with Lynch and Armstead. At this point, the new 1990s Browns should be developing into one of the best teams in the league, with only right tackle and running back as weak areas. We’ll see if I can do anything about that in 1994.